PULLMAN – Washington State released its 2013-14 men’s basketball schedule on Wednesday with the news that the Cougars will not play a game in KeyArena as they have every year since 2005.

A scheduling conflict at the arena will prevent the Cougar Hardwood Classic from continuing for a ninth season, though the game is expected to return in the future.

The Cougars will host San Francisco State on Dec. 18 at the Toyota Center in Kennewick and will play either Utah or Colorado at the Spokane Arena the week of Jan. 8-12.

As previously announced, they will play in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla., over Thanksgiving weekend. Their first opponent will be Butler on Thanksgiving Day.

Non-conference home games include Cal-State Bakersfield (Nov. 8, the season-opener), Lamar, TCU, Pepperdine, UTEP and Mississippi Valley State. WSU plays at Gonzaga (Nov. 21) and at Idaho (Dec. 7).

Christian Caple